Joshua Irving of Carvahall
by The Dan
Summary: Set before and during the rise of Galbatorix. Can one teenaged Rider make a difference to the world? First FanFic EVER, please R&R!
1. Introduction: The Egg

A/N- Yup, everything here belongs to Chris Paolini, except for Joshua and his family.

For those of us who have read the book "Eragon," by Christopher Paolini.

This is set during a good time for the Dragon Riders, all has been well, but a few Dragon Riders (Galbatorix and his group) have disappeared, and are assumed dead.

Introduction – The Egg

Joshua Irving was a young man with long black hair, brown eyes, and a respectable family. He had a younger brother named Mark, who looked just like a smaller version of Joshua. He had gone to a Boarding School to study Healing with Magic. His older sister, Alicia, worked at the Inn. His parents owned the Inn of the town and made enough money to support the family and some special treats every now and then.

Joshua had always loved swordplay. He enjoyed watching tournaments with his family. He loved making his own swords, usually rapiers and poniards. He fought whenever he could, attacking his friends with sticks if they were in the mood for a fight. His friends usually lost. Joshua seemed to have a natural ability for swordplay. Perhaps it was because of the fact that his grandmother was an elf.

He also loved Dragons. Joshua had read every book he could get his hands on about Dragons. He had only seen one in his entire life, a small green one named Tempest. She and her Rider had come to Joshua's town to stop a group of Urgals who had set up a camp less than a league away. They hadn't killed any humans, but they were stealing crops and killing chickens.

When Joshua had heard that someone had found a Dragon Egg in the Spine, he had to see it for himself. The man who had found it was willing to trade it, and Joshua had found him in no time. He was shown the egg after he promised that he was serious about buying it. It seemed like a large, brown, polished rock, but it couldn't be broken. Joshua had traded it for his best, self-made rapier, and took it home.

His parents couldn't believe that he had made the trade. They informed him of what he already knew: the egg would only hatch for his destined Rider. Joshua knew that the chance was slim, but he hoped and prayed that he could be that Chosen Rider.

The night after he bought it, he hid it under his bed and dreamt of brown dragons flying around his house. He was riding one of them.

A/N- That's the first chapter. I've got plenty in store for you, but only if you review. Criticism will be appreciated. Thank you for reading my pathetic first Chapter!>>


	2. Chapter 1: The Hatching

A/N- The stuff here belongs to Chris Paolini, read his books.  
Thanks for the reviews! I honestly didn't expect any…  
Anyway, here's the first proper Chapter. This and the rest should be longer than the intro, but I can't promise anything.

Chapter One – The Hatching

Joshua decided that, in the event that the egg hatched, he would name the dragon either Miremel or Vanilor, depending on its gender. His friends helped him pick out the names. They were ecstatic that Joshua had bought the egg and may become a Rider, but Seth was the most impressed.

"Wow! Will you be able to ride it?" he had asked, and Joshua wasn't sure.

"It will be too small for that for about two months," Joshua said. "After that, I'll know if it'll let me ride it or not."

"Do you think it'll be a male or female?" Trisha asked. She was one of Joshua's closer friends, but she could get very annoying.

"I've no way of finding out. I'm hoping for a male, though." Joshua answered. They talked for a while, until Joshua said, "I need to get going, I was supposed to be out to place an order for more wine." He left the disappointed group behind him as he went to the liquor store.

He gave the woman at the counter a slip of paper and money, and she came back, smiling kindly. She gave him the bottles in a large wooden box that he was to drag home. He thanked the woman and left.

Joshua couldn't wait to get home and look at the egg some more. _Perhaps it will hatch today… _he thought idly, dragging the heavy box behind him. He took a detour through his friends, answered more questions, and got to the Inn.

He deposited the box in the cellar, told his mother that he was home, and did his chores. His job was to clean the rooms and prepare the beds for the customers. He cleaned rather quickly, and withdrew to his room.

He sat the egg on his bed and told it about his day. It made no signs of hatching, however, and Joshua worked on a pair of daggers before being called to dinner. He made sure the egg was under his pillow so nobody could take it away, and went downstairs.

His mother had prepared steak and cod for the three of them. The customers were sitting at the bar, drinking beer and eating bread and jerky. They were loud and happy, and there were several conversations going on at once. Every now and then one of the customers would turn to Joshua and ask about a sword he could make for them or questions about the Dragon Riders. He would always answer with a smile and a joke, and the people would laugh and go back to drinking. Joshua finished early and cleaned up his plate.

He got back in his room to find that the egg had somehow gotten onto the floor. Joshua looked at it for a second, then shrugged and put it next to the daggers. It looked the same as it had before he left it, and yet… He couldn't be sure. Joshua shrugged it off and put the finishing touches on the daggers. He started making a claymore before going to bed. He put the egg back under his bed, then changed his mind and put it next to him. He fell into a dreamless sleep.

He awoke in the middle of the night to a soft "thump." He first reached for the egg, and couldn't find it. Panicking, he jumped out of his bed and started looking for it under the bed. He heard a squeak.

Joshua jumped and turned toward the sound. The egg was there; he could see it in the moonlight. It squeaked again and started moving. Josh became anxious. Was the egg going to hatch? He wanted to call out for someone, but he couldn't speak. The egg squeaked and moved again, and Joshua pulled his longsword from its sheath on the wall. He held the tip of it to the egg, and pulled it back. _There's no reason to be afraid,_ he thought, sitting down on the bed. It squeaked again, and Joshua put the sword back. There was no reason to have it out.

The dragon squeaked and rolled around for almost half an hour, and Joshua was still lying on his bed, staring at it. Quite suddenly, a large crack appeared. Joshua jumped and froze, watching the egg. It had stopped rolling and squeaking. The egg cracked again. Joshua leaned in closer.

A large chunk of the top of the egg was pushed off. It fell on the floor, and in its place was a small, brown dragon. It squeaked. Joshua smiled as it pushed the rest of the egg off its body.

All Joshua could manage to say was "Wow."

It was very small, no taller than his knee. Its scales were a dark brown, the same shade as the egg. It's head was shaped like a triangle, and had two long fangs coming down in the front. It also had very long wings that seemed impossibly large for its small body. It had spikes going up and down its spine and tail, except for the area between its back and neck. This would be the area that Joshua would sit when he was riding it. _It…Is it a he or a she?_

It was looking at him as if he didn't belong there. Joshua glared at it and reached over to pick it up. But the moment he touched it, a sharp, icy pain was sent into his arm and hand. He tried to pull away, but couldn't. He grabbed onto his right arm with his left, and finally stumbled backwards. He looked at his hand where he had touched the Dragon, and there was what looked like a burn mark there. He groaned, standing up. The dragon was still looking at him as if he shouldn't be present.

Joshua tentatively reached over to the dragon and closed his eyes, expecting another shock. He touched the dragon and pulled back quickly, but felt nothing. He smiled and started petting it. _Is it a he or she? _He wondered.

He ignored the dragon's squealing as I picked it up and looked into its mouth, taking a close look at its teeth. They were very sharp and had no serration, which meant she was a female. He put her down, but she kept squealing. _She's hungry, _he thought. _Miremel is hungry._

He quickly left, carefully closing the door behind him. He knew he was beaming, and he didn't care. He found some steak in the icebox, and threw it in a pan. He quietly thawed at out and put out the flames while the meat was still red. _I have my own dragon, _he couldn't stop thinking. He poured a bowl of water and carefully took it and the meat back to his room.

When he got there, Miremel was licking off the thin membrane that covered her entire body. He waited for her to finish, then put the meat and water in front of her. She looked at it for a moment, then sniffed at the meat. She tore a large piece off and gobbled it down before taking a long drink of water. Joshua sighed. He was afraid she would be a picky eater.

As she ate, Joshua realized that she would change his life. He would have to go train with other Dragon Riders and work on keeping the peace… He probably would never get married, either…

Joshua couldn't keep his thoughts negative, however, as he watched Miremel eat and burp in front of him.

A/N- There. This one's about three times longer than the intro. I'll try to keep my chapters as long or longer than this. But what did you think? Please R&R, and be honest! 


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